Homemade Shepherd's Pie

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound ground beef

1 clove garlic (chopped)

2 onions (finely chopped)

2 medium carrots (finely diced)

2 sticks celery (finely diced)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

ground black pepper (to taste)

2 tablespoons white flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/3 cup red wine (OR more broth if avoiding alcohol)

1 cup beef broth

1 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

4 cups mashed potatoes (click for my recipe and you'll have some leftovers to sneak during cooking)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Brown meat and vegetables:Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet. Brown the ground meat, then add the chopped vegetables and sauté until softened.

Season and deglaze the pan:Sprinkle salt, paprika, pepper and flour over the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring all the time, until it smells roasted (about 1 minute). Pour in the red wine (OR beef broth if you prefer!), scratching any browned bits off the bottom.

Finish filling and cool:Then stir in broth, herbs and peas, simmer 4-5 minutes and then let cool in a 7x11 inch baking dish.

Prep mash:In the meantime, make your favorite mashed potatoes. You need about 4 cups of mash to top off the casserole. About 1.5 pounds of peeled potatoes should yield enough.

Bake pie:Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the mashed potatoes over the cold filling. (Be careful not to mix up the two.) Criss-cross with a fork for a great look and crispy edges! Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden (I recommend baking on a lined baking sheet to catch any spills).

Nutrition

• Calories: 377 kcal
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 56 mg
• Sodium: 562 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 45 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 24 g